Afterthoughts
by Sparkly-Sparkly
Summary: 9 years since Kagome fell down the well and 7 years since the defeat of Naraku. What's next for those that remain? SesRin MirSan
1. Growing Pains

**A/N: I don't own any of the Inuyasha characters yada yada they all belong to the amazing Rumiko Takahashi. **

**OK this story takes place 9 years into the future and 7 years after the defeat of Naraku. This is mainly a Sesshomaru/Rin fic but there's also some Sango/Miroku. I'm not sure entirely where this story is going right yet so I'm rating it teen. I suck at lemons and the like so I don't plan to make any. If that changes, I'll up the rating but for right now, that's that. Oh yea and reviews appreciated. **

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"Sesshomaru-sama where are we going now?" Jaken whined. His feet hurt and his two headed staff felt heavier than usual.

Sesshomaru stopped abruptly, startling Ah-Un and causing the two headed lizard like demon to look at his master in confusion. Sesshomaru picks up the imp and sticks him on top of Ah-Un next to Rin.

"If you're tired, ride on Ah-Un for a while. We still have a long way to go before we stop for the night." Sesshomaru stares at him with his usual cold gaze, causing Jaken to drop the staff. Sesshomaru just turns around and leads Ah-Un by the reigns, leaving the staff on the ground. Rin jumps down, her getasandals clacking slightly on the ground as she retrieved the staff and hands it to Jaken.

"Here, Jaken-sama. You rest on Ah-Un a while. I'll walk with Sesshomaru-sama." Rin smiles, her dark hair which falls down to her waist swishing as she walks briskly away. She had long outgrown her ponytail, opting to leave it down instead or occasionally wearing it tied up in a high pony tail. She wore a deep purple kimono with pink cherry blossoms creeping up from the left side, splashing shades of pink and white up to the obi of the kimono. The obi was pure white silk with a gold obi-jime to keep the obi in place. She strode up next to Sesshomaru smiling.

"You're not staying with Jaken and Ah-Un?"

"I'm not a little girl anymore, Sesshomaru-san." She winced a little after using –san, a much less polite way of addressing him and far less formal. She wasn't sure how he would react.

Sesshomaru glanced quickly at her then returned his gaze to in front of him.

"If you say so."

She had indeed grown up, not at all the little girl he met 9 years ago. She had grown up into a beautiful young woman. Rin glanced at the side of Sesshomaru's face. It hadn't changed much at all in 9 years. Still, her fondness for him grew every year. He was always there to protect her and for that she was grateful.

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Sango stepped out of the hut in Lady Kaede's village, shielding her eyes from the sun. The young kitsune, Shippou, follows her out.

"For crying out loud, Miroku hurry up would you?" Sango yelled towards the hut her and Shippou emerged from moments ago. A few minutes later, Miroku pops out and joins her.

"Sorry, Sango. Making these sutras took longer than expected." He holds up strips of parchment with kanji written on them.

Sango rolls her eyes. Some things NEVER change. Miroku stuffed the sutras in a safe place and smiles to her.

"Lets' go home. We've paid our respects to Kaede-sama and now she can rest in peace." Miroku folds his hands in a quick prayer as they pass the site where Kaede was buried, the dirt still fresh.

"While we're on such a depressing journey, you want to go visit Inuyasha and Kikyou?" Sango suggested.

Shippou jumped up in excitement at the suggestion. He greatly missed Inuyasha and they were well overdue to visit him. The trio head off towards Inuyasha forest and the Bone Eaters Well.

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Kagura walked through a distant forest remembering back to 7 years ago. Indeed she was free. Free to love, free to hate. No one threatened her existence anymore. Naraku had been dealt with and she was now living her own life.

"Kanna, I'm so sorry. Sorry I wasn't able to save you but at least now we're both free of him. I hope you're happy, wherever you may be now."

It was 7 years to the day that everything had changed for Kagura. The Shikon Jewel was made whole and even though Naraku's power grew immensely since he gathered all the shards, the will of those that opposed him was stronger. They prevailed in the end and brought Naraku down. She felt sad for Kanna and Kohaku and everyone else that died in the final battle but for the first time, she was beginning to understand how Kikyou felt all that time she was "alive". Kikyou, who was free, whom she envied. She too was now free, no longer bound to Naraku. Free like the wind.

She stopped in her tracks, sniffing the air. She smirks at the familiar scent and dashes off towards it. She had some business to take care of.

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**A/N: Sorry it's so short I know I'm a horrible person but when I think of exactly where to go from here, I'll continue. So many ideas are swirling it's making my head hurt. Oy . Anyway please someone tell me what they think. This is my first ever fic so forgive me for the suckitude of it. I know it sucks but bear with me. ONEGAI I am new at this!**


	2. Ghost of You

**A/N: I have no clue what the hell I'm doing anymore. I'm TRYINGto keep the charactersfrom being OOC even though they still are. I'm new at this gomennasi! Please do not kill Sparkly she is trying her hardest really! Anyway, onward with chapter 2...and this one is longer yay!**

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Kagura emerged from the woods, walking into a desolate field.

_A battle took place here._

A little further off, slain demons lay lifeless and a tall young man of about 19 stands with his back to her. He wore black hakama pants and a black haori top with tailored sleeves. His long brown hair was pulled up in a high ponytail. He held a sword in one hand and his other hand was clenched into a fist.

"You're still alive? I was under the impression you died along with Kanna and that wolf demon. How did you manage to hide yourself for seven years?"

The boy turned around. His brown eyes were fierce with emotion and held a sort of coldness. He had no recollection of what happened seven years ago, the day Naraku died. All he wanted was to find his sister.

"What do you want? I don't recall owing you anything. So unless you want to die here too demon, I suggest you get lost."

Kagura was caught a bit off guard by his comment and puts her hand to her chest for dramatic emphasis on how hurt she felt even though she wasn't hurt as all by what he said. She smirks and unfolds her fan, hiding her bottom half of her face with it.

"After all that time I watched over you, this is the thanks I get? You're still an obnoxious brat, Kohaku."

Kohaku's facial expression snapped and he stared at Kagura with surprise.

"You know my name?"

"Of course. We were both at one time under the control of that horrible demon, Naraku."

"Hmph. Whatever. Get lost, all you're doing is annoying me!"

Kohaku takes a fighting stance then changes his mind at the last second and dashes off towards the same forest Kagura had emerged from. Kagura didn't follow him. He had distracted her long enough from her real goal. She sniffs the air again and continues on her way, taking flight on a feather from her hair.

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Kohaku stopped at a clearing of trees in the woods, sitting on a nearby stump. He clutches his chest while his eyes become normal, almost child like again. Seeing Kagura again like that had set emotions and memories in him he didn't want to remember. Sango…where was his sister, Sango? Would she be able to help him? To free him from himself and truly become the Kohaku she once knew? But how? How can he go to her like this? Unable to control himself and his anger, He punches his fist into the stump next to him angrily. What was wrong with him?

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Sango, Miroku and Shippou reach Inuyasha Forest and head over to the "Sacred Tree" as Kagome would call it. It was Inuyasha's tree. The tree he was sealed when everything began nine years ago. Now, under the tree sat two grave markers, one reading Inuyasha and the other reading Kikyou. Sango places flowers on each of them and kneels before them in prayer. Miroku joins her, kneeling next to her and chanting a prayer. Shippou sits on the other side of Sango with Kirara.

"I hope at last the two of you are happy," Miroku said.

"They must be. They're finally together after so long. Everything is over, people can move on and no longer live in fear of Naraku," Sango adds. "Just like we moved on."

Sango smiles at Miroku who smiles back, rubbing Sango's stomach. Shippou rolls his eyes before getting up and heading over to the well. He peers down it, into the blackness and sighs. As much as he missed Inuyasha, he missed Kagome even more. Now that the Jewel was destroyed along with Naraku, she was no longer needed. She returned to her time never to return to them again.

Miroku and Sango appear alongside the well. They kneel down in front of it and Shippou jumps into Sango's lap.

"I hope Kagome is all right. She took all that happened pretty badly."

"I know but how did you expect her to react?" Sango asked, "She was pretty obvious with how she felt about Inuyasha, How could she not have reacted that way? When all was said and done, he chose Kikyou and not her."

Miroku nods and says a prayer over the well.

"Wherever you are now, Kagome, be well and stay safe."

"And I hope you'll find happiness again in your life there," Sango added. "Because you deserve so much happiness after all you've done for us here."

Shippou smiles and jumps onto Kirara's head. Sango gets up and jumps on her back. They all wait for Miroku who gets up and joins them moments later.

"Kirara, lets go home," Miroku said.

The cat demon nods and takes to the sky, flying off towards the former site of the slayer village. Over the years, Sango, Miroku, Shippou and Kirara worked hard to restore the village back into working order. They even managed to recruit a few humans strong enough to become slayers. The raccoon dog, Hachi, Miroku's loyal servant and friend also lived there with them.

Kirara lands and transforms back into her small form. She jumps on Sango's shoulder as Miroku bangs on the door to the front gate leading into the village.

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Rin stops for a second. A rather unusual flower caught her attention and she went over to pick it. Sesshomaru doesn't stop but glances at her and smiles. To him, Rin was still the little girl who followed him all those years ago. She may have grown up into a pretty girl, but sometimes she was still that little girl.

Rin picks the flower and sticks it in her hair before rushing back over to Sesshomaru. Jaken had fallen asleep on top of Ah-Un and was snoring loudly. A bug flew into his mouth and he chokes, waking up and falling off Ah-Un. He lands hard on the ground and Ah-Un laughs at him. Jaken, not at all amused gives Ah-Un and evil look which causes the demon to laugh even harder. Jaken turns bright red with anger as Rin rushes over and kneels down to him.

"Are you all right, Jaken-sama?"

She sits him back up and he looks at her with an annoyed look.

"I'm fine. I don't need your help, Rin. A demon like me doesn't need sympathy from a pathetic human like you."

Rin looks at him funny then gets to her feet and shrugs. She turns and walks away back towards Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru stops suddenly and Rin, who was the one leading Ah-Un now stopped and looked at him.

"Sesshomaru-san? What's the matter?"

He looks at her.

"Quiet, Rin."

"Oh I'm sorry. Does using –san to address you make you upset? I can go back to using –sama if you want me…"

"It's not that Rin. I just want you to be quiet. Get on top of Ah-Un with Jaken and stay here."

"But Sessho…"

He doesn't wait for her to finish. He instead dashes off towards some woods. There was someone coming and he knew all too well who it was.

Rin sits on top of Ah-Un puzzled, waiting for Sesshomaru to come back. She looks at Jaken who just hmphs and turns his back to her. Rin jumps off Ah-Un and heads off to follow Sesshomaru. Jaken, of course, doesn't notice. Ah-Un does and tries his best to alert the imp's attention.

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Sesshomaru stops at the edge of a grove of trees and crosses his arms in annoyance.

(A/N: Yes I'm aware I said arms…yes I'm aware in the anime and manga he only has one but in this it grew back in the course of time. K?)

"What do you want, Kagura? Naraku's dead. You're free now you no longer need my help."

"Oh Sesshomaru-sama I merely came to see how you were doing. I caught your scent in the air and decided to pay you a visit. Can't I pay an old friend a visit?"

"You're not my friend. I only tolerated you because you opposed Naraku. Now you're just an annoyance."

Rin tries her best to hide amongst the trees and watch, but Kagura spots her and smirks.

"I see you still let that human girl follow you around. She's grown up quite nicely."

Kagura dashes off towards Rin's direction, appearing behind her and dragging her into Sesshomaru's view. Sesshomaru growls, his eyes fierce with anger.

"Let her go, Kagura. This has nothing to do with her."

By this time, Rin's struggling had annoyed Kagura so much she hit her and knocked her out.

"Why Sesshomaru your concern for her well being is touching. Who would've thought the great dog demon, Sesshomaru, the one who hates humans and is so cold hearted would've fallen in love with a pathetic human girl?"

Kagura sneered as Sesshomaru grew angrier. His eyes change from the beautiful golden color to bright red.

"Let her go before you regret it, Kagura!"

Kagura's eyes widen at his half transformation and decided its best to do as he says. She shoves Rin towards Sesshomaru who has to catch her before she falls hard to the ground. He caught her and picked her up in his arms. His eyes return to their golden color as he begins to walk with Rin back towards Jaken and Ah-Un.

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Kagura had used shoving Rin at Sesshomaru as a chance to escape. She flew away on a feather from her hair. Once air born, she breathes a sigh of relief.

"That was close. If Sesshomaru had transformed into his demon form, I would've been dead for sure."

She smirks and chuckles menacingly.

"Still, there's no denying his feelings for that girl. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he was in love with her. Hmph like he's capable of such feelings. Still, in a way, I envy that girl. To be able to affect the actions of a demon as powerful as Sesshomaru…"

She trails off, not completing her sentence or thought. Kagura didn't want to admit to herself or anyone else her true reason for paying Sesshomaru a visit like that. She would never admit her feelings. Not to him, not to herself. Not to anyone. She shakes her head, ridding herself of thoughts of Sesshomaru.

"Hmph who needs him anyway? Such an arrogant demon…thinking he's better than everyone else…I don't need him. I don't need anyone. I am the wind."

Her silhouette disappears into the distance.

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Sesshomaru reappears to find a frantic Jaken searching everywhere for Rin. Ah-Un looks up when he sees his master coming and kicks Jaken with one of his hind legs, sending the imp flying head first into a bush near the side of the dirt road they were traveling.

"You can stop looking for Rin, Jaken. She's right here."

Jaken pokes his head out of the bush, smiling Cheshire Cat wide as Sesshomaru comes to a stop next to Ah-Un with 18 year-old Rin still unconscious in his arms.

"Uh…r-right Sesshomaru-sama. I'm sorry I lost sight of her, Sessho…"

Sesshomaru places Rin on top of Ah-Un and motions for Jaken to follow and lead Ah-Un, interrupting Jaken's apology.

"It's all right, Jaken. Rin's safe now."

Sesshomaru walks off ahead of them, something clearly bothering him. Kagura's words were weighing heavy on his mind.

_Love her huh? Do I really? Hmph. I, Sesshomaru, have no use for such foolish emotions like love._

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Kohaku staggered out of Kanashii Pub (Sorrowful Pub), a bit more drunk than he intended. He had gone to Kanashii with the intention of finding out where his sister now lived. While getting the information he wanted, he enjoyed a bit too much sake, causing him to wobble while he walked.

"Sango…so you live in the new Slayer village huh? I've finally found you. Maybe now you can help me."

He tries to clear his head of the sake and focus on finding the location of the secret village and his sister. He heads off in the direction the patrons of the pub said it was though he wasn't sure how reliable they were. Most of them were already well beyond drunk when he arrived. Night had set in around him and the full moon shone brightly in the sky.

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The gates opened for Miroku and Sango. Hachi and three young boys bombarded them when they entered. The eldest boy, Taki, was a boy of about six. The next in line was Yujiro who was four. The three year old next to him was Mizu. They rushed towards Sango and Miroku. Mizu clung to Sango's leg while Yujiro and Taki tackled Miroku. Miroku laughed, trying to pull them off him.

"Hey, hey two against one? No fair."

The boys laugh, clutching tighter to him.

"Boys, I…can't…breathe."

Sango laughs as Miroku tries in vain to get the two boys off him.

"Boys, get off your father so he can breathe."

The boys whine and pout but do as Sango says and gets off him. Miroku gets to his feet, brushing the dirt off.

"Whatever happened to a simple 'Welcome home, dad'? Why do I always have to be tackled to the ground?"

The boys don't answer. They just run off, little Mizu chasing after them and trying his best to keep up. Sango turns to look at Miroku, her left hand on her stomach.

"This one better be a girl or I'm going to go crazy."

Miroku chuckles. He takes her hand and leads her into the village. Shippou and Kirara follow and the doors slam shut behind them. Hachi places a piece of wood over the door to lock it before catching up with the rest of the group, already heading into their house.

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Standing there on the outskirts of the Slayers village, Kohaku smiles at the familiar sight of the high walls and wooden doors barring the front gates from outsiders.

"It seems like forever…so long ago; Naraku deceived us and destroyed our village. It almost looks like none of that ever happened…"

Kohaku's eyes become glazed over, losing their innocence again and being replaced instead with hatred and evil.

"No damn it not again. Not now. I'm finally back. Back home."

_Exactly which is exactly why now is the time for me to take over…once and for all. Stop fighting so hard Kohaku…give into me…_

Kohaku shakes his head vigorously, trying to rid himself of the unwanted voice residing in it.

_I'm not that easy to get rid of, Kohaku. I've waited seven years and now it's long enough. Your darling sister and that monk live here. Now my little puppet, let's see what you got._

Kohaku's eyes temporarily return to normal only to turn back again a few seconds later. Kohaku hesitates before knocking on the door.

"Forgive me…Sango."


	3. These Stark Words

These stark words...

**A/N: The flashback scenes in here are in italic. And I know that the battle scene in here could be better but this is something I'm still working on.**

"Tell us, Mommy how Inuyasha died," Mizu insisted.

"You don't want to hear such a tale. You're far too little. Just know that he was brave and died with great respect and honor."

Mizu looked at Sango slightly confused and pouting but decided not to press the issue. He instead just nods and plods off towards the back of the hut to his futon.

Miroku watches him go and looks at his other sons setting down to do the same. Sango sat staring out the window of their house, looking out it to the full moon outside, remembering back to the final battle and Inuyasha's death.

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_"Haha Naraku! You're going down once and for all," Inuyasha exclaimed, getting ready to strike down Naraku with one last swing of his Tetsuaiga. The allies, or rather those that opposed Naraku had fought long and hard, well over 6 hours until finally wearing him down enough. _

_Sesshomaru had just finished up and attack with Tokijin. He had landed only a few seconds before, not even having much time nor warning to get out of the way of his hanyou half brother. Inuyasha charged at Naraku, raising Tetsuaiga over his head with both hands. Both Naraku and Sesshomaru get absorbed in the glow of Tetsuaiga's attack. A bluish light glowing from where Sesshomaru was standing. A black light is left where Naraku was standing then a pink glow takes over. The smoke and dust clears and all that was left where Naraku was standing was the jewel that was inside, glowing a dark pink._

_Kikyou picks up the jewel and it purifies in her hands. _

_"I guess all that's left is to decide what to do with this," Kikyou stated._

_Kagome runs over to Inuyasha who had collapsed after the last attack, all his energy expended. Kagome rolls him over and his eyes look lifeless._

_"Kikyou look! Inuyasha."_

_Kikyou rushes over to Inuyasha and the two of them hold him until he regains consciousness._

_"Is it over?"_

_Kagome nods as Kikyou holds up the jewel. Inuyasha scans around. Kanna's mirror lay broken on the ground not too far away. That was the spot where Koga and Kanna had been absorbed into Naraku's body. Kohaku had disappeared before he was about to be absorbed. Sesshomaru had taken some of the attack and laid on the ground unconscious, Rin and Jaken were standing over him. Jaken was scurrying around his master frantically._

_"The jewel…ungh….what's going to happen now?" Inuyasha asked, "If no one has any objections, I'd like to keep my promise to Kikyou all those years ago and use it to become human."_

_Kagome sits back hurt and slightly annoyed by it. She sits there silently as Inuyasha takes the jewel from Kikyou's hand and encloses his hand around it. He closes his eyes and the jewel glows bright pink in his hand. His white hair and dog ears transform into human ears and long black hair. The pink glow disappeared and he opens his eyes again. The hand that held the jewel was now empty._

_"The jewel is no longer."_

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Sango sighs, walking away from the window and retreating to her futon.

"If only he had went with Kagome to her time. Then I wouldn't worry so much about her. Still, I can understand why he did what he did. Kikyou was the woman he loved. Kagome probably knew all along that he would choose her in the end."

Miroku had already fallen asleep next to her and she sighed, closing her eyes.

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_"Kagome, forgive me but…I still love Kikyou." Inuyasha hugs Kagome close to him but Kagome shoves him away, running towards Sango. She gets on Kirara and flies away. They land at the Bone Eater's Well. Shippou looks up at her, pulling on the sleeve of Kagome's shirt._

_"Do you really have to leave us now Kagome?"_

_Kagome nods. "Seven years, Shippou. I've loved a man who never loved me back for seven years. I can't take it anymore, I've been a fool. Stupid Inuyasha! He never had a clue!"_

_Shippou stands there clung to Kagome's leg. He knew how Kagome felt, they all did. Sango appears from the woods, giving Kagome a smile._

_"I'm sorry to see you go, Kagome, but I understand. If it were me, I'm not sure I could stand being here either after all that happened."_

_Kagome nods. The day after the battle, Kikyou had announced she would return to the world of the dead and had asked Inuyasha to join her. Inuyasha had, of course, agreed. He had been ill since then end of the battle anyway and knew he didn't have much longer._

_Inuyasha watched from the woods as Sango and Shippou comfort Kagome. He DID love Kagome and part of him wanted nothing more than to run out there to her and tell her how foolish he was. He instead sighs sadly and walks back towards the village where Kikyou was waiting. He met Miroku on the way and stops him._

_"Hey um, Kagome probably won't believe me, but tell her I'm sorry…and give her this…" he takes off his necklace and hands it to him along with a piece of folded parchment. (A/N: He can get the necklace off now since he no longer has the demon blood in him)_

_Miroku nods. That would be the last time he saw Inuyasha alive. Three days later, he died in the arms of his beloved Kikyou who followed him shortly afterwards._

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The possessed Kohaku jumps over the wall, landing on the dirt ground below just inside the slayer village.

"So much for top notch security," he scoffs, making his way into the living area of the village. "Now which house is yours, dear sister?"

He wanders around a bit until he senses his sister's presence and walks towards the house, slightly larger in size than the others around it. He sneaks up alongside it and peaks in the window to see two adults and three young boys sleeping peacefully. He jumps in through the window, squishing poor Hachi who was sleeping underneath it. Hachi awakes with a start and a yelp, causing Miroku and Sango to wake. Sango jumps up with typical slayer reaction and gets in a fighting stance on instinct. The darkness made it hard to see anything. Kohaku had moved away from the raccoon dog and towards Miroku and Sango. Sango had lit a lantern and shone it towards the intruder. She squints and nearly drops the lamp in shock when she sees who it is.

"K-kohaku?"

Kohaku doesn't respond. He just moves closer to Sango who had let her guard down at the sight of him.

"Nice to see you again, dear sister." Kohaku's voice was as cold as ice and his eyes were menacing.

By now, the boys had woken up.

"What's going on dad?" Taki asked, curious as always.

Miroku doesn't answer. He instead shoves Taki and his other two sons towards Hachi.

"Hachi, take them someplace safe. There's something wrong with Kohaku."

Hachi looks up at his master and nods, taking the boys and leading them out, carrying little Mizu the best he could. Kohaku just watches them leave then turns his gaze back to Miroku and Sango.

"Now then, where were we?"

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Sesshomaru stops near a hot spring, the waterfall above it adding to the peaceful surroundings. Jaken struggles to pitch a tent under a few trees. Rin sighs, taking the tent from Jaken and pitching it in a matter of minutes. It was her tent anyway. Sesshomaru and Jaken always slept outside, even in the rain. Jaken huffs and walks off. He hated being shown up by Rin. Rin just chuckles and enters her tent. Sesshomaru had remained silent since his run in with Kagura. She didn't press the matter though, she knew better than that. She took off her sandals, placing them towards the entrance to her tent.

"Rin you ungrateful child get out here and eat your dinner!"

She sighs, shaking her head and coming out to get dinner. She looked around for Sesshomaru but as usual, he was nowhere to be found. Jaken hands her a plate and she eats it without much focus. She was in such a daze, she didn't notice when her plate was empty or that she was putting empty chopsticks into her mouth.

"Rin what on earth are you doing? Your plate is empty you silly girl. You always have your head in the clouds! Just what are thinking about anyway?"

_Sesshomaru-san of course!_

She doesn't respond to him. She just snaps out of it and puts her plate and chopsticks down then gets to her feet walking off towards the hot spring. She looks around before taking off her kimono and stepping into the hot spring. She sighs, letting the vapors and falling water soothe her.

Sesshomaru, who was nearby trying to regain control of his emotions, senses Rin approaching and hides himself. He didn't want Rin to see him like this, allowing himself to get so bent out of shape over something said by a weak demon like Kagura. How pathetic. He couldn't let her see him so weak.

Rin sighed and continued her thoughts from before. She loved Sesshomaru. She was convinced she always has, even as a little girl. He saved her when she had no one else to turn to. Indeed when she first saw him after being hurt from the Wind Scar. Even then as a little girl she cared so much for him, eventually growing to love him.

"Too bad he doesn't feel the same way. Sesshomaru-san will never love me," she sighs, sinking lower into the water.

Sesshomaru's ears perk up at the mention of his name. Rin said his name just now. He listens more intently now, hearing her say "Sesshomaru-san will never love me." He winces, the pang of Kagura's words ringing in his ears. He scoffs, once again shaking thoughts of Rin from his mind.

Rin sighs sadly before getting out of the hot spring, redressing and heading back to her tent. She lays down on her futon, burying her face in her pillow.

Sesshomaru returns to the camp shortly after Rin did and stands there next to the campfire staring at her tent. By now, Rin had fallen asleep as did Jaken, curled up next to the campfire. Sesshomaru walks past the sleeping imp and steps silently into Rin's tent, staring down at the sleeping teenager.

"Sorry, Rin, but I don't deserve you. You need to be with a human boy your own age that you can grow old together with. Staying with me will only bring you more pain."

He walks out of her tent and out of the camp again as Rin stirs in her sleep. She sits up with a confused look on her face.

"Sesshomaru?" She looks around her tent, "I could've sworn I heard his voice just now."

_Wishful thinking. Like he'd come in my tent._

She looks around her tent a bit and notices shoeprints from Sesshomaru's boots by the entrance. He was there after all.

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Miroku steps in front of Sango as Kohaku instantly moved to attack her.

"Kohaku what's wrong with you? Snap out of it," Sango pleaded.

Miroku notices Kohaku's blank expression and places a sutra on the end of his staff.

"He appears to be possessed by a demon." Miroku attacks him with the sutra, driving the demon out temporarily.

"Kohaku?"

Kohaku's eyes revert back to normal as he stares into the worried eyes of his sister.

"S-sango. I've found you at last. Please…help me. Naraku he…"

Kohaku's eyes begin to change again as Miroku falls to his knees, unable to hold the spell any longer.

"Miroku!" Sango kneels down next to him for support.

"If…if your brother is possessed by Naraku's spirit, I doubt even I would be able to drive him out. Only a powerful priestess would be able to do so and we are sadly lacking any priestesses strong enough.

"Well couldn't we try to convince Sesshomaru to help us? I mean, Tensaiga can bring him back right?"

"Yeah but good luck trying to convince him to help."

"I'll convince Rin. She'll get Sesshomaru to go along with it."

Miroku shrugs, "Worth a try I guess. I can make a sutra to bind Naraku's soul to Kohaku. When Kohaku dies, so does Naraku's soul therefore allowing Kohaku's soul to become dominant again and return completely once revived."

Sango nods. "I'll hold him off. You make the sutra but he quick about it."

Miroku nods, getting to his feet and heading to the back of the house while Sango fights off Kohaku. A few minutes later, Miroku returns, throwing the sutra on Kohaku's forehead. A white glow surrounds the parchment before disappearing. Kohaku and Naraku were now stuck with each other. The sutra knocked out Kohaku and Miroku turns to Sango.

"Go find Rin. He'll be out for a few hours."  
Sango nods and dresses in her kimono before running out of the house.

"Kirara, let's find Rin. Come on!"

Kirara takes to the air while Sango scans the ground below for any sign of Rin.

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Rin is now restless, wondering why Sesshomaru was in her tent since she didn't hear exactly what he said only that he said something. She sighs, walking out her tent just in time to see a woman and a large cat coming towards her.

"Sango-san? Is that you?"

"Sorry to bother you Rin but I have a favor to ask you."

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Sesshomaru lies under a tree restlessly when Kagura appears before him.

"You really are transparent, Sesshomaru-sama."

"Get lost, Kagura. I'm not in the mood."

"Aw why so cranky? Did little Rin reject you?"

"Watch yourself, Kagura. I already said I'm not in the mood."

Kagura sneers, hiding a smirk behind her fan.

"That girl has you completely wrapped around her little finger." She sighs, "You're really becoming pathetic you know. Then again, like father like son right?"

By now, Sesshomaru had had enough of Kagura and got to his feet, staring at her with death cold eyes. He was reaching for Tokijin with his right hand and getting ready to attack. Kagura was surprisingly one step ahead of him and was already air born. Sesshomaru growls before settling back down under the tree.

"Stupid demon."

Kagura is laughing. She now had the perfect plan to get Sesshomaru.

"He makes it almost too easy."

**A/N: Not much of a cliffhanger but this was a good place to end it for now. I'll start working on the next chapter very soon. In fact, if it all works out, there might be a nice surprise in it heh.**

**Sayonara!**

**Love,**

**Sparkly-Sparkly**


	4. Longing

**Longing**

**A/N: The LONG awaited chapter 4. Not much to say other than enjoy. This one took me a while…school forced me to put a stop to all fanfic writing. Not to mention, I was starting to work on another one. Oh yea and gomen for an OOC Sesshomaru but it was hard to keep in completely in character in this one. Heh.**

**Well, onegai read on and enjoy!**

Rin nods as she watches Sango walk off. She rubs her eyes sleepily before turning back towards her tent. Distracted by Sango, she didn't notice a dark figure had slipped into her tent. Rin walks into her tent as usual and two red eyes glare at her from the darkness. Kagura uses her powers to knock out the girl before she has time to react. Kagura smirks, picking up the girl and dashing off.

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Dawn approached a few hours afterwards as Kohaku began to stir once again; the spell Miroku had cast was wearing off. The monk lay sleeping near the entrance, unaware of Kohaku awakening.

Kohaku opens his eyes, now fully possessed and unable to control his actions anymore. He sits up and notices the sleeping Miroku.

"What the hell did that stupid monk do? I feel everything the boy does now," his eyes narrow, getting up and preparing to attack. He was just about to thrust the sword when Sango entered.

"Kohaku! No!"

Sango dashes and kicks the sword out of Kohaku's hand, sending it spinning across the floor of the house. Miroku wakes with a start and, realizing what happened, immediately jumps to his feet.

"Sango? What about Rin?"

"If all goes well, they'll be here soon."

Miroku nods and prepares to fight Kohaku. Kohaku smirks and aims to attack Sango. Miroku moves and quickly blocks his attack.

"Sango, go wait for them. I'll hold him off."

Sango nods and runs off towards the entrance of the village.

"Rin-chan, please…hurry."

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Sesshomaru wakes with a start, almost as if he knew something was wrong. The sun was creeping up over the horizon as he walks over towards Rin's tent and opens it, peering inside. His eyes fill with worry when he sees Rin is missing. He rushes back over to where Jaken was still sleeping and kicks the imp awake.

"Jaken, have you seen Rin?"

"She's not in her tent my Lord?" Jaken asked confused. He was still sleepy and had no idea what Sesshomaru was talking about. Sesshomaru gets annoyed and backhands him.

"Obviously not, Jaken or I would not have asked!"

Jaken rubs the side of his face and gets to his feet once again.

"Sorry Sesshomaru-sama. I will look around for her right now."

Sesshomaru looks around and notices the tracks left by Sango and Kirara.

"Don't bother. I think I know where she is. Stay here and make breakfast. I'm sure she'll be hungry when we return."

Before Jaken could utter another word, Sesshomaru had taken Ah-Un and headed off towards the slayer village,

_Why would she go with them without saying anything first?_

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Rin stirs and awakens to find herself locked in a small room.

"Huh? Where am I?"

"What? You don't like my decorating job? If you don't like the décor up here, I could always lock you in the cellar."

Rin turns towards the voice and noticed Kagura had appeared with her in the room.

"How…why?"

"A trap of course for your beloved Sesshomaru-sama. Just relax here for now. We'll begin phase two in a little bit."

Rin's stomach growled which caused Kagura to grin wide and disappear from the room once again.

"Sesshomaru-san…where are you?"

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Sango watches and squints as a figure appears from the dark sky.

"Rin-chan is that you?"

As the figure gets closer, Sango steps back from shock. In seconds, Sesshomaru appears behind her.

"Where's Rin?" He asks in a threatening tone.

"Rin? Y-you mean she's not with you?"

Sesshomaru glares at her with cold eyes.

"No. I saw your tracks near our camp and figured she's with you. You mean she's not here?"  
Sango shakes her head, nervous of his reaction. "S-she was going to come here with you to help us."

Sesshomaru scoffs. "Why would I help you?"

"Because Naraku…he possessed Kohaku."

"Oh I see and my Tensaiga can send Naraku back to hell and save your dear little brother right?"

Sango nods.

"Sorry, not interested. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm busy. "

"Please Sesshomaru-sama! I'll beg you if I have to. Rin-chan…this means a lot to her."

"Kohaku wasn't anything more than Naraku's puppet. Why would saving his pathetic life mean anything to Rin?"

"Because she's not like you! She cared for Kohaku. He was her friend…and he did save her life."

Sesshomaru's eyes grow even more threatening but he just sighs.

"Where's the boy?"  
"You mean you're going to help us?"

Sesshomaru doesn't answer and instead just pushed past her and into the village, startling some of the villagers. He sniffs the air before entering the house with Miroku and Kohaku inside. By now, Miroku was breathing heavy on one knee. Sesshomaru unsheathes his sword and slashes Kohaku across the back. The boy collapses on the floor and Sesshomaru leaves without a word.

Sango appears in the doorway just as he leaves. Kohaku groans and opens his eyes. Sango smiles relieved and turns to thank Sesshomaru.

"Uh…thank yo…" he was no where to be seen. Sango shrugs and focuses her attention back on Kohaku.

"I'll go find Hachi and our sons. You stay here with Kohaku," Miroku said.

Sango nods, holding her little brother in her arms.

"Kohaku…"

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Sesshomaru searches then picks up the scent of Rin. It was slight but enough to track her down. He sniffs and growls.

"Damn that demon. She's meddled for the last time. Prepare yourself, Kagura. It ends here."

"Why those are some strong words, Sesshomaru."

"Shut up. Where is she?"

"She's…in a safe place. No need to worry about that brat anymore."

Sesshomaru growls, drawing his sword and running in for an attack. Kagura lifts her fan in response, flicking it down towards the ground, creating her Dance of the Dragon attack. Sesshomaru steps back, slashing the blades of wind with Tokijin.

"Impressive. You fight well, Sesshomaru."

Sesshomaru scoffs then takes his attack. Tokijin glows blue as he swings it towards Kagura. Kagura's eyes widen as she turns to dash away. A green whip catches her ankle, causing her to fall to the ground, unable to escape the Dragon Strike attack.

Kagura screams in pain as she's absorbed in a brilliant blue light. The whip releases from her ankle and the blue light diminishes. Kagura lays motionless on the ground. Sesshomaru scoffs again and turns, sniffing and dashing off towards the west, the sun already beginning to creep towards the western hemisphere.

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Rin sighs, sitting on the edge of the small, uncomfortable bed. Her head is resting in her hands, elbows on her thighs. How long had she been in there she wondered. It felt like forever since Kagura locked her in that small room. There were no windows, no way of telling what time it was. No one was in the room with her but she could hear voices outside the door of guards Kagura had posted. Rin caught a glimpse of them earlier, two boar-like demons easily twice her size. No chance of escape. She got up, pacing the floor in front of her bed, stretching and wondering if she'd ever be free of this room. It was then that she heard a yelp and two large thuds outside the door. The door flings open violently, causing Rin to jump back onto the bed from fright. Sesshomaru stands in the doorway, his usual unreadable expression on his face.

"S-Sesshomaru-san?" Rin squints her eyes a bit to better focus on the silvery-white haired demon. He steps just inside the doorframe as Rin rises to her feet, tears welling in her eyes. She runs towards him, throwing her arms around him.

"I'm so glad…you came for me."

Sesshomaru stiffens slightly at the feel of Rin's arms around him. He instinctively puts his arms around her, pulling her closer into a comforting embrace.

Rin glances up at the demon she loved so much. Sesshomaru glances down at her, a small smile crossing his lips. Rin notices the small smile and a slight look of confusion crosses her face, though doesn't question his sudden actions. A sudden feeling of uneasiness creeps into her and she pulls away slightly.

"Ne, Sesshomaru-san, let's head back. I haven't eaten since yesterday and I'm hungry."

Sesshomaru nods, releasing her and leading her out of the mansion towards Ah-Un.

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Exhausted, Hachi was now sleeping against the wall of the hut he had escaped to, a small hut near the gate to the village. Mizu had finally fallen asleep as well as the other boys when the familiar voice of Miroku is heard outside the door.

"Hachi?" The monk pokes his head inside to find the sleeping forms of the raccoon dog and his three sons. Smiling, he goes over to his long time friend and servant and nudges him. The raccoon dog awakens and sits up.

"M-master Miroku!" He gets to his feet and helps Miroku in awakening his sons. Yujiro and Taki sit up and smile at their father while Mizu refuses to awaken. Chuckling, Miroku scoops up his youngest son and heads for the hut his wife and brother-in-law were in, wondering if Kohaku was really ok.

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Sango and Kohaku were laughing it up, reminiscing and catching up on things missed.

"So three sons and another on the way eh?"

Sango nods, smiling at her brother. "I told him that if it's another boy, I'm going to kill him."

Kohaku laughs, knowing his sister was joking of course. So much time has passed, yet nothing seemed to have changed aside from Sango having married Miroku and having children, she was still a demon slayer and he knew that she'd pass on the tradition to her children.

Miroku comes in, Mizu now at his side and Yujiro and Taki behind him with Hachi.

"Glad to see everything…and everyone is back to normal," Miroku said.

Sango and Kohaku look up and nod.

"I'm glad to be back. A lot of years of my life seem to be missing but I'm looking forward to helping this village be like it used to when I was young," Kohaku began. "There's so much potential."

Sango nods in agreement as the boys and Hachi crowd in.

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"Ah Sesshomaru-sama you're back!" Jaken exclaimed.

Sesshomaru jumps off Ah-Un after he lands without a word to Jaken and helps Rin down.

"I made lunch since it's too late for breakfast."

Sesshomaru leads Ah-Un past Rin and Jaken and ties him up underneath the shade of a nearby tree.

"Eat some food, Rin," he says, walking back to them. "I'm going for a walk. Watch after Rin while I'm gone."

Jaken and Rin nod. Jaken collects the food he prepared and puts it on Rin's plate while Rin stares after Sesshomaru. She takes the food Jaken handed her and sits down under the tree Ah-Un is tied to, eating to food in peace. Sighing, she gets back up and places her plate near the fire which was now nothing but glowing embers. Jaken had now fallen asleep underneath the afternoon sun and Rin silently slips away in the direction Sesshomaru was in.

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Sesshomaru was resting under the shade of a sakura (cherry blossom) tree, now in full bloom under the sun of a fresh April day. He had taken his armor off and rested it next to him. Tokijin and Tensaiga rested next to it. The fluff wrapped around him in a soft bed. He was dosing off and didn't hear nor sense Rin approaching.

Rin spots Sesshomaru resting under the sakura tree. She walks up to him and clears her throat, awakening the napping demon.

"Rin? Where's Jaken? I thought he was supposed to be watching you."

"He was napping and I wanted to go for a walk too. I'm sorry; I didn't mean to interrupt your nap."

Sesshomaru gets up, smiling slightly, almost shyly. "No it's all right. Something's just…been on my mind lately and I wanted to clear my head."

"Sesshomaru-san?"

Sesshomaru had grabbed onto Rin's shoulders, claws digging into them slightly and causing a slight look of discomfort on Rin's face. Her heart was pounding in her ears and a large lump had formed in her throat waiting for Sesshomaru's actions.

"Se-sesshoma…"

Sesshomaru shushed her, causing Rin's uneasiness to multiply. Sesshomaru's arms forcefully pulled Rin in closer to him. He wraps them around her in an embrace and Rin instinctively wraps her around his back in response, her fingers running through his silvery hair. She found herself mesmerized by his golden eyes, her own widening in shock at the feel of Sesshomaru's lips on hers.

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**'Tis it for now folks. Working on Chapter 5 right now. Not sure if chapter 5 will be the last one or not. This series is winding down now but fear not, I am working on another fanfic for another series as we speak hehe. Stay tuned. The misadventures of Sparkly-chan continue!**


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